Let's face it - the short-term outlook for the global economy is not all that great. I firmly believe that it will recover, but in the meantime business organizations need to brace themselves and work through the downturn by following a few guidelines.

Be Proactive – Not Reactive The time to make the tough decisions is now. Review your budgets, talk with your team leaders, and determine the best courses of action for the worst-case scenario. Income projections are always tricky, especially in the non-profit sector where revenues come from individual and corporate donations, so be conservative! Review your controllable expenses and determine a bare-bones baseline for operation.

Have you seen the McDonald’s TV commercial with the endearing little kids, looking for ‘hope’ in their happy meals? And that for every happy meal purchased, a portion of the proceeds offers hope to a child and family in need? It’s a great tie-in to the fact that McDonald’s is the largest corporate donor of Ronald McDonald Houses – dedicated to improving the health and well-being of children. Many of us know them as the organization that helps families rest in comfort far from home so they can be nearby their hospitalized children.

One of the banner ads on the Ronald McDonald House website is “100 small gestures.” Those gestures include a meal, transportation, a nap, etc…little actions that add up to big blessings for families who face long, difficult stays at the hospital with their sick children. This is followed by testimonials of folks who benefitted from those blessings.

“Do you think there is a way we can work together on a project?” I read these words from my friend Craig Sharp about the possibility of a partnership between Outreach International and the young professionals of the San Francisco chapter of Engineers Without Borders. And from the beginning I sensed we were on to something good. Craig explained that his organization wished to help design and implement a human composting toilet system somewhere in the developing world. Craig already was a supporter of Outreach International and knew we were committed to sustainable good. I reminded him, however, that we do not make a practice of letting a village know what we are going to do “for” them, but rather we help empower a village to prioritize and resolve its own development issues. Fortunately, the village of Los Alvarez near Santa Lucia, Nicaragua was already poised to participate in such a project.

I met up with all seven engineers at the Managua airport that very warm and humid evening. They were well educated, motivated, and wanted to make a difference in the world. Each brought a unique skill set; two were fluent in Spanish. The next morning we met the Outreach Nicaragua staff and began not only our mission, but also new friendships.

Sarodj Bertin is not your typical Miss Universe contestant. She’s a lawyer, speaks four languages, and her life has been filled with privilege as well as tragedy and sorrow. So she can empathize with all those affected by January’s earthquake.

Her greatest dream – to help her country by helping others focus not just on the crisis, but on the beauty of the country and its people. To interest them in offering young people greater opportunities. To be a voice for people’s needs. “I want people to see Haiti as a light, a hope,” she shares.

This year at SPECTACULAR, a youth camp in Lamoni, IA, campers were challenged to discover what Small Change they could make in their lives to create Big Change in the world.

The passion of the youth and staff was evident all week. From filling the donation jar at the Outreach International shack on the Quad at Graceland University to attending class and sharing meaningful thoughts and ideas, SPEC (SPECTACULAR) campers made it clear that they are NOT okay with poverty.

Chloe, Tucker and Rebekah started an OI Club in their school; so did Joelle and Lynley—You can too!

High school and college students in Washington State, Kansas, Missouri, and more are planning to start OI Clubs in their schools this year.

For months, we have been pushing the U.S. Congress to live up to its promise and pass supplemental funding for Haiti—last week the funding finally passed!

Last week, I had the opportunity to travel to Florida for work. Standing on the Madeira Beach near Tampa, I was struck by the fact that the residents here were waiting for oil to hit their shore—It could happen at any moment. Even though the oil was no longer gushing from BP’s deep water well, the damage from this catastrophe is far from over.

As I strolled along the beach, I came upon my favorite bird, a great blue heron, fishing on the shore. As the surf washed upon the shore, the heron would snatch up small fish.

“It doesn’t feel nice at the start of a journey.” That’s the meaning behind the Lubipa Pa Kuya Cooperative in Mfuta, Congo. Most of us can relate to that in terms of the change in our lives. New journeys – however welcome or unrequested, aren’t always easy.

It definitely wasn’t easy for women in Mfuta. Women’s participation and contributions were not valued in their culture, and men were the masters of the home and community. But with most people living as subsistence farmers and diminishing food supplies, several mothers were ready to explore other options. So when an Outreach International facilitator mentioned growing rice in the abundant wetland areas, a small group of brave women with a dream, started off on a new journey.

It has been an incredibly difficult 6 months for Haiti since the devastating earthquake on January 12…and there is still a lot of pain. You may have seen stories, pictures and videos about the situation in Haiti in the past couple of weeks, which begin to show glimpses of the struggle Haitians are still facing.

Youth are often the most empathetic to world needs, and this group of students is no exception. Using Haiku and Rap to express themselves, this poetry sent to Outreach International represents their understanding and compassion for those living in poverty.

Poverty Haiku

People are hungry

People are cold and homeless;

It’s time to help them.

We attended the Kansas City Metropolitan Flower, Lawn and Garden Show earlier this spring, and were pleased to see the addition of an entire “Green” section. Rows of booths featuring everything from Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) groups to wind turbines, to Bridging the Gap, Recycling and other groups were there.

One of the featured keynotes of the event was Ed Begley, Jr., actor (‘Living with Ed’) and environmental activist, whose primary message was, “everyone can do something” and “start small to make changes.”

To look at the disparaging news about youth and where they’re headed, it sometimes seems discouraging. But people throughout the ages have lamented about the same topic, wondering if things would change for the better.

This has been the case in Bolivia as well. And when so little opportunity exists, it leaves little hope for our country. But I can truly say that the work we are doing on behalf of Outreach International with young people in Bolivia is a blessing.

I am riding a bumpy, crowded bus through the streets of Lima, Peru. Every morning I take number 21 from a poorer side of town, where I live, to an upscale side of town where I take Spanish classes. When I get on the bus to go home, a similar incidence occurs nearly every day:

Two young girls hop on. They don't take seats – one stands at the front and the other runs to the back with two hair combs she rakes together as a rhythm instrument. They sing three or four songs, and then walk the aisle for change. Or maybe it’s an old blind woman with long, braided hair, singing Peruvian folk songs in her native tongue, Quechua. More often it is a middle-aged man, who spends a few moments announcing the illnesses have plagued his many children.

Paige Webberley is volunteering in the Philippines with Outreach International through a partnership with World Service Corps. I think you will find her reflections both funny and insightful.

Tagalog word of the day: BONGGA. Means spectacular.

Hello everyone!!!! Still soaking up the sights and sounds of the Philippines, and having a bongga time doing it. This week I visited several villages in the province of General Tinio--four of them, I think.

I received a chart the other day with U.S. funding levels for various international development categories: water, HIV/AIDS treatment, vulnerable children, education, etc. The chart showed the difference between the amount of money that is requested by the various U.S. agencies that provide these funds and the money that Congress actually decides to allocate to these priorities.

I was appalled at the difference between some of the requested amounts and allocated amounts. The biggest difference was in the agricultural and food security sector. In fiscal year 2010, Congress only allocated just over ¼ of the funding that was requested for this critical category.

We live in a tough world, during a tough time. There are many things that could easily make us lose hope. Many times the pain, the suffering, the struggle bring us down. We have ups and downs on even normal days. However there are times when we experience extraordinarily difficult circumstances that are especially hard to overcome.

I am going through one of those times right now. One of my favorite songs to get through difficult times is Keep Breathing by Ingrid Michaelson. Sometimes we just have to focus on getting to the next moment. This song helps me to do that.

$12.7 billion has been pledged for Haiti’s recovery since the earthquake on January 12th. With that amount of money, I would expect that Haitians wouldn’t have to worry about food, water and basic shelter as they rebuild their country. However that isn’t the case, as one school-turned camp says simply on the wall: "We are hungry. Give us food."

The LA Times reports that tensions have been growing around these unofficial camps. Some nearby residents are ready to return to a somewhat normal life, going back to church, school and even stadiums, but these places are occupied by displaced people. Consequently, the government started kicking people out of the unofficial camps. With no place to go, people head back to the street.

This week, Outreach International celebrates 30 years of helping the poor help themselves, a legacy that has made a tremendous impact in the world!

At our 30 year reception, I was inspired to see so many people who had supported Outreach International since our inception. Sometimes young adults (me included) feel like we are reinventing the wheel, when really we are standing on the shoulders of giants.

Looking for an opportunity to work in Washington? Want to spend next year advocating for peace, social justice, and the environment? Apply for this internship!

Outreach International and the Community of Christ are partnering with the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) for an 11-month internship position. FCNL is a Quaker peace lobbying organization that has proven to be strong partner among many social justice organizations in Washington, DC. They work in a green building and are located just a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol.